The Los Angeles Lakers are having the time of their lives, passing by every opponent they face easily. The Golden State Warriors are the former champion, despite that, the purple and gold army is already at an advantage. Coach Darvin Ham’s side has managed to win the second home game in a row, setting the record 3-1 in the league. On Monday, LA had an intense close competition with their California Rivals, but they beat them by 101-104. And interestingly, the team has reduced their dependency on their star players for the wins.
It has been a long time since the Lakers have been highly dependent on their star duo for the games. But since the team has reached the postseason, they have shown a well round performance from all the players in the team. Every other day some other player shines for the team scoring crucial points. This also results in a more relaxed game for LeBron James and Anthony Davis. They have been scoring the most points for the team lately, but the games now do not require them to go overboard with their efforts. And on Monday, Lonnie Walker IV became their star because of his second-half performance. And LeBron Had special things to say about the young Laker.
LeBron James Appreciates Lonnie Walker IV For His Amazing Game
"We don't win that game without Lonnie Walker tonight. That's for sure."
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) May 9, 2023
LeBron James gave props to Lonnie Walker IV's performance, dropping 15 in the 4th 🙌pic.twitter.com/zuNjfxXZUa
There is no doubt basketball is a team game, and no one man could make much difference without their teammates. And the Lakers are a perfect example to understand as they have newly become a team to reckon with. Following their second consecutive win over the Warriors at Crypto Arena, James greatly admired Lonnie. In the post-game interview, Chris Haynes wanted to talk about two specific players. And “I hope Lonnie Walker’s the first. I hope Lonnie Walker’s the first,” asserted LeBron James before Haynes even revealed his names.
Walker had a quiet game in the first three-quarters of the game. However, his eruption in the game’s last quarter took everyone by surprise. He scored an incredible 15 points when the Lakers were tailing the seven-point deficit in the last 15 minutes. James even acknowledged that “We don’t win that game without Lonnie Walker tonight. That’s for sure.” The Lakers needed a player like him in the game’s dying moments who could be a threat from long-range. LeBron James knew they would need Walker and asked him to be prepared for the moment.
Lonnie Walkers Becomes Lakers’ Hero
The Lakers delivered a tight game against the best team in the Western Conference, which holds the pedigree to win the title. The Lakers needed a decider factor that could make the difference. And the 15 points from Walker became precisely that for Coach Ham’s side in the fourth quarter of the game. Apart from the praise from his teammate, he has also become famous on the internet among fans.
Apart from appreciation, Lonnie has also joined an elite group of players who have also scored 15 or more points in the fourth quarter. He has added his name among some of the greatest players like Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, LeBron James, and Pau Gasol. The youngster will hope for more such opportunities to carve his name.
